Eggs Baked on Grits with Bacon and Tomatoes

Recipe Author: Conne Ward Cameron

Veering away from a focus on onions and garlic, just a reminder that those veggies make great breakfast food. This recipe from seriouseats.com calls for quick cooking grits, but you can (and should!) substitute long cooking grits like those from Riverview. Grits are another one of those things that you can cook up in a slow cooker – start them the night before and let them cook on slow overnight. Season to taste in the morning.

Ingredients:

6 strips bacon 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (about 1 cup) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 cups water Pinch red pepper flakes 1 cup quick cooking grits 1 tablespoon butter 4 eggs 1 tablespoon finely sliced chives

Preparation:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425 degrees.

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels. Return pan to heat and add onion, cook until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomato and cook until the juices from the tomato have been reduced, remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add red pepper flakes and grits. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until grits are cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Butter a 9- by 13-inch Pyrex dish and add grits. Make a few wells in the surface of the grits and pour tomato mixture into wells. Break each egg over the tomato mixture, season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven. Bake until the whites of the eggs have set but the yolks are still runny, about 14 minutes. Sprinkle with chives.